Jessica Ridgeway’s mother, Sarah, went from being distraught to telling reporters that she and the rest of her family are strong, that they remain hopeful for Jessica’s safe return. She says when police found Jessica’s backpack on a sidewalk on Sunday, it actually gave her a bit of hope.

(Ridgeway) “I figured if something really bad happened to her, they wouldn’t have got rid of the backpack just sitting there. They would’ve…it wouldn’t have been in plain sight.”

As police search, they’ve also handed out new photos and a video of the 10-year-old so people can focus on her facial characteristics and the sound of her voice.